Category: Mangalorean food / South-Indian

Rose Cookies – Mangalorean Kokkisan

Crispy treat of rose cookies are traditionally prepared before new year in South-Indian Christian households are always available in Mangalore supermarkets during Christmas with varieties of other crispy and savory Christmas snacks.

Kokis are made using a special round iron mould in the shape of a flower with a long handle to hold called as ‘kokis achchuwa’ that I bought from Mangalore the last time I visited home. I have also seen a few different designs of moulds here in Singapore which can also be used to make kokis. In Mangalore we call it Kokkisan (or kokis), Rose cookies  because of its rose-shape named in various regions,  in Scandinavia (Swedish or Norwegian) its called Rosette cookies, Achu murukku in Tamil and Achappam (Malayalam) in Kerala. Similar mould is also available on Amazon Rose cookie mould.

Rose cookies are not baked but deep-fried from either freshly ground rice grains or rice flour batter that contain coconut milk, sesame seeds and egg. Some recipes use other additional spices to make savory varieties. It might get a bit tricky at first but once you get a hold of how it works with the batter and the mould it is very easy. If you prepare with rice grains make sure to get the Kerala idli Rice which are usually available at Indian stores and make a thin batter with the other ingredients mentioned below.

 

How to use a new cookie mould?

Wash the cookie mould with soap and then, applied oil to the mould 2 hrs prior to doing the following :

  1. Drop the mould completely submerged in oil. Keep it dipped in oil until hot.
  2. Once the mould has heated in hot oil, remove and immediately dip the mould in a bowl of water at room temperature. You will hear it sizzle.
  3. Tap dry of any moisture on the cookie mould. Continue with step 3  (under step-by-step pictures) until it gets heated on medium-low heat.

Tips to prepare rice paste

  1. Soaking –  Rinse the rice with running water until the water runs clear. Transfer to a large bowl and add enough water to cover it. Cover with a lid and let it soak for 4.6 hours. The soaking process softens the rice and makes it easier to grind into a smooth batter.
  2. Grind the batter – After soaking, drain the water from the rice. Using a mixer jar or blender grind the rice into a smooth batter with some water (approx. 1/2 cup). The lesser the water the finer the paste. But make sure the blades keep moving.
  3. Consistency – The batter should have a thick yet pouring consistency. To achieve the right texture add water as needed.
Rice paste

 

How to make Rose Cookies with step-by-step pictures

1. Take the bowl containing rice paste, add salt, sugar, sesame seeds and mix. Pour coconut milk and the egg. Stir to combined together to make a thin batter of pouring consistency.

ingredients for kokisan

2. Add more coconut milk if the batter is very thick. The batter must be of pouring consistency (*see notes). Reserve until your ready with next step.

Rose cookie Batter made thin

3. Heat a heavy bottomed container with enough oil up to 3-inchs to submerge the mould. Place the mould in oil completely covering the whole mould till the top.

Rose cookies mould

4.When the mould is heated you will know when it radiates heat by placing you palm few inches away from it (careful not to touch it).

Heating the mould

Dip the mould in the batter making sure the sides are 3/4 covered in batter (see picture below). Hold steady in the batter for minimum 10 seconds and not less (it is important because otherwise it will form a shape in the batter itself and batter will not cling to the mould). Video clip here

Mould dipped in Batter

5. After 10 seconds immediately place the batter covered mould completely dipped in hot oil to deep-fry (induction #6). You will see the oil bubbling, hold it in oil for at least 10 seconds then gently shake the mould to release the cookies.

release the mould IMG_9417

If not, It should loosen up in 30 secs to 1 minute from the mould. You could also use a wooden skewer to release it from the sides.

6. Meantime, leave the mould in hot oil for few seconds until your ready for the next cookie and continue with step 4. Depending on the size of the container used you can fry more than one but just make sure you have enough space to dip the mould after each cookie (*see notes).

reheating the mould

7. Flip them with the wooden skewer to fry evenly until light brown color on both sides.

8. Remove the fried ones and place them on kitchen paper towels. Repeat from step 4 until all the batter is used.

kokisan IMG_9389

Leave them to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container or airtight storage bags.

Rose cookies
deep-fried Rose cookiesIMG_9443
mangalorean rose cookies IMG_9445
Rose cookies /Kokisan | Mangalorean kuswar | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Rose Cookies with rice | Mangalorean Kokisan | Achu Murukku

Indulge in the delightful world of South Indian sweets with Rose Cookies, also known as Kokisan. Perfectly balancing sweetness and sophistication, Rose Cookies are not just a snack; they are a cultural celebration that captivates both the palate and the heart.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Soaking Time 4 hours
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine Indian, Malaysian
Servings 50
Calories 98 kcal

Equipment

  • Rose Cookie Mould

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup 250 g idli Rice / white small grain / Surai
  • 1 water for soaking
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds black
  • 1 large egg, room temp
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup thick coconut milk
  • ¼ cup water, if required for batter consistency
  • 1 oil, for deep-frying

Instructions
 

  • Firstly, in a large bowl take 1/2 cup idli rice.
  • Soak in water for 6 hours.
  • Drain the water and transfer it to mixer grinder jar.
  • Grind to a smooth batter adding some water as required.
  • Transfer the batter to a large bowl.
  • Add salt, sugar and sesame seeds and mix. Pour 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1 egg. Stir to combine together.
  • Add some water if required if its thick to make it pouring consistency.
  • Heat a heavy bottomed container with enough oil upto 3-inchs to submerge the mould. Place the mould in oil completely covering the whole mould till the top.
  • When the mould is heated you will know when it radiates heat by placing you palm few inches away from it (careful not to touch it)
  • Dip the mould in the batter making sure the sides are 3/4 covered in batter (see picture below). Hold steady in the batter for minimum 10 seconds and not less (it is important because otherwise it will form a shape in the batter itself and batter will not cling to the mould). 
  • After 10 seconds immediately place the batter covered mould completely dipped in hot oil to deep-fry (induction #6). You will see the oil bubbling, hold it in oil for at-least 10 seconds then gently shake the mould to release the cookies.
    Use a wooden skewer to release it from the sides.
  • Meantime, leave the mould in hot oil for few seconds until your ready for the next cookie and continue with step 4. Depending on the size of the container used you can fry more than one but just make sure you have enough space to dip the mould after each cookie.
  •  Flip them with the wooden skewer to fry evenly until light brown color on both sides.
  • Remove the fried ones and place them on kitchen paper towels. Repeat from step 4 until all the batter is used.
  • Leave them to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container or airtight storage bags.

Video

Notes

  1. Make sure not to overheat the oil. You can keep the oil  on medium-low heat (induction 5 or medium-low) if your preparing it for the first time . It might be hard to release the batter from the mould if overheated.
  2. If the batter is too thin you will know it once you prepare the first two cookies, since it tends to be very fragile and breaks off easily. And, the hot mould will need to be immersed in the batter for longer than 10 seconds for thinner batter.
  3. For deep-frying I used a flat deep-bottomed 7.5-inch / 19 cm wide container that could fry 3 cookies at a time.
  4. While dipping the mould in batter, tilt the bowl for even coating.
  5. If its too much batter to make at one-time. You can separate and use half the batter and keep the rest in fridge. I used half the rice paste for one-time which made 25 cookies, while the rest of the rice paste I stored it in the fridge for next day.
Keyword Achu Murukku, Crispy Rose Cookies, Indian Festival treats, Kokisan, Moulded Cookies, Rose Cookies, Traditional Indian Snacks

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Semolina Pancake / Dosa

Apart from being a delicious Semolina dosa or crepe one thing I like when I prepare this recipe is never have to think about soaking rice for 3 hrs, making a paste by blending it or going through my pantry to check if I have enough rice stocked up. Most recipes of Indian crepe or dosa needs to go through a fermentation process for a fluffy batter and this is one of the recipes which can be prepared within minutes, without going through the hassle of what kind of rice grain is required for it.

If you are trying this for the first time, make sure you have the right appliance or griddle with even heating. My first attempt was a hit and was on a portable hotplate which later got damaged over time and thereafter my pancakes were not cooking evenly.  That’s when I realized my pan was also damaged (thus pancakes turning sticky on the base). However, I managed to get a good tawa made for induction cooking (fits perfectly on my induction hob) after browsing through stores.

When I made my first beautiful semolina crepe with a dip of Asafoetida chutney and tomato rasam (my hubby prepared this – I wished I had taken pictures but I guess will have to wait for the recipe until he does it again 😋)

first pancake_IMG_7608

 

Appliance needed: Crepe pan/Tawa with tight-fitting lid, 25 cm non-stick

Preparation time: 10 – 15 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Makes: 10 – 12

Ingredients

Olive oil / Veg oil / Ghee 

All-purpose flour / Maida – 1 cup 

Semolina (fine) – 2/3 cup 

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Water – 2 1/2 cup 

Yogurt – 1/2 cup

Milk (pastuerised) – 1/2 cup

Shallot for coating the pan with ghee (*see here) – cut through the belly into half / through its root

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 long strand

Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri red dry Chili – 2, halved

 

 

Directions

Preparing batter:

1. In a large bowl, Mix together flour, semolina and salt. Add water stirring between each addition until it is smooth without lumps.

Pour yogurt and milk . The batter must have a pouring consistency. Mix well and set aside.

Ingredients

Seasoning:

2. Heat a small container until hot coated with 1 tbsp veg oil , add mustard seeds. Once they sputter, add cumin, curry leaves and dry chilies. Toss it for half a minute and pour it into the batter.

Seasoning- semolina dosa

Mix the batter. Unfortunately I missed taking picture after seasoning but will update it the next time I make it. 🙂

Crepe Preparation:

3. Heat a crepe pan or omelette pan until hot, then rub around the inside of the pan using the shallot pierced onto a fork.

4. Using a large ladle pour about 100 ml or 1/4 cup (depending on the size of your griddle) into the center, then immediately tip the pan to coat the base evenly to form a thin base.  Drizzle some ghee along the sides. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook the pancake for 6 minutes on medium-high heat (induction  stove 6).

The pancake or dosa must be set entirely on the top and the sides must turn slightly brown.

pancake on a griddle_IMG_8963

5. Using a spatula, loosen the pancake off the griddle. Lift it off and place it on a flat/serving plate (*see notes).

Repeat with the remaining batter from step 4 to make as many pancakes needed.

lifting off crepe IMG_8962

Serve hot with any dip. My husband prepared coriander chutney to accompany the Semolina Dosa. I make this quiet often on weekends when we can relax and not use too much of our time in the kitchen. You can double the recipe for more pancakes and store left-over batter in the fridge to be used the following day.

semolina dosa IMG_8980

If you add more flour the pancakes become less brown in colour.

Semolina crepe_IMG_8982

 

 

Notes:

* To grease the pan with oil or ghee click here and check under directions 3-4.

* If your making the pancakes in advance, fold them in quarters and place them in an insulated box to keep them warm.

pancake in a insulated box _IMG_8954

*While lifting off or removing the pancake decrease heat and when pouring batter increase heat.

 

Stay Healthy! 🙂

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Potato Bhaji / Aloo Bhaji – Vegetarian

Potato Bhaji or Aloo bhaji is a South-Indian dish served hot along with a round deep-fried bread called puri or poori also named as poori bhaji as a whole. It’s typically prepared spicy so you can add green chilies if you like it hot.

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 35 to 40 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

Potatoes – 3 large / 500 g

Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves – 2 small stems, lightly rinsed and tapped dry

Ginger – 1 inch, mashed

Garlic cloves – 5 small, mashed

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Onions – 1 medium, chopped thinly

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Green chili – 1 (optional for spice)

Salt – 1 tsp

Water – 3/4 cup

Directions

1. Prick the potatoes with the fork all over. In a large pot of  lightly salted boiling water cook the potatoes for 25 minutes on medium-high heat.

Cooking potatoes for 25 minutes | Potato Recipe

Drain them well and peel the skin. Mash them using a fork. Reserve for later.

2. Heat deep bottom container with olive oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot add mustard seeds, as they sputter add curry leaves, ginger and garlic.

Stir for a minute, then, add asafoetida powder, chopped onions, turmeric. Mix together and fry for 2 minutes for the onions to remain crisp.

Ingredients | Seasoning for Potato bhaji | Delicious Sweet Aroma

3. Add the mashed potatoes along with 3/4 cup water. Combine together, cover and cook for 5 more minutes.

Mashed potatoes | How to cook potatoes | Hungry?! That's what I made!

Keep an eye to see that it doesn’t get burnt at the bottom of the container by stirring occasionally.

Potato Recipe/Potato Bhaji/Aloo Bhaji - Poori Bhaji

I served it with hot crispy pooris (Indian deep-fried bread). A lovely combination and a great recipe for a vegetarian dish.

Potato Bhaji or Aloo Bhaji | Vegetarian Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

I couldn’t manage to take detail pictures while preparing the pooris, so I haven’t posted the recipe of poori yet. But, if I prepare it anytime soon, I will make sure to share pictures and publish the recipe.

Potato bhaji /Poori Bhaji/Aloo Bhaji -Vegetarian | Delicious Sweet Aroma

In case you want me to post the recipe of pooris earlier, please comment below and I will post it for you. 🙂 Until my next post! 👋👋

 

More Vegetarian Recipes? Click below

Raw Jackfruit Dry / Kadgi Sukhi in Clay Pot

Pan-Fried Zucchini

Sweet Pulav – Rice Recipe

Mushroom Soup

Easy Beetroot Rice

 

Dessert:

Vermicelli Pudding or Kheer

Cocoa Easy Cake (No Eggs, Butter or Milk)

 

 

Stay Healthy! 🌹

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Spicy Clam Recipe – Mangalorean Style

Every time I see Clams, it reminds me of one my childhood memories of Mangalore visiting the beach during summer foraging for clams. When the tide rises the live clams that burrow in the sand come out and we dig in to catch them before they rebury themselves as they follow the waves. That day we caught large ones so pretty with beautiful designs on them I wished I could return them back to the sea. Those days are truly treasured!

Mangalore, famous for its seafood, is known for variety of local seafood delicacies. This recipe of spicy clams is also known as Kube Sukkhe (Clam dry) in konkani prepared with a common spice mix powder bafat which I always use in other recipes.

Preparation time: 5 minutes excluding cleaning time

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients

Fresh live clams – 1 kg

Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Garlic cloves – 3, finely chopped

Onion (medium) – 1, thinly diced

Bafat powder / Fish powder – 3/4 tbsp

Tamarind – 3 seeds or 1 tsp paste

 pinch of salt

Grated coconut –  1/4 cup 

 

Directions

> How to clean Clams ?

+ If you buy fresh clams, place them in a large pot with cold water (tap water). The water must be a few inches above the top of the clams.

+ In a while you will notice them opening slightly or moving. Dipping them in water allows them to remove any sand or dirt within the shells.

Live clams | Fresh clams

+ Allow to sit for an hour. Then drain and rinse. Fill with a fresh batch of water. Soak for couple of minutes say 15 minutes. This will allow to get rid of any more particles of grit and sand.

+ Drain and rinse of any dirt. Set aside.

+ If you notice any cracked or damaged shells throw them in the garbage.

+ Observe each shell carefully. Any clam with open shells tap them with your fingers gently. If they do not close, they are likely to be dead so throw them out.

Clams that are not suitable to eat | How to


 

1. Heat a large pot with olive oil on medium heat and add mustard seeds. Once they sputter add chopped garlic and onions. Fry them for a couple of seconds.

Ingredients for Clam recipe

2. Add bafat or any seafood powder. Toss in grated coconut and tamarind water or paste with a pinch of salt. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes. Do not add any water or any more salt.

Clam ingredients | Easy recipe

3. Now, add the clams. Do not mix when the clams are closed. Cover and cook on medium for 5 minutes.

Cooking Shells | How to cook Clams

4. After 5 minutes if you notice they all have opened.

How to cook Clams | Easy cooking | Hungry?! That's what I made!

Mix to combine with the spice mixture. Turn off heat after a minute.

Spicy Clam Recipe | Easy | Mangalorean Style

Clam Recipe | South-Indian | Delicious Sweet Aroma

 

For more recipes on seafood click on the recipe below:

Flower Crab Recipe

Sweet Chilli Prawns

Black Pomfret Curry (Facebook link w/o pics)

Prawns with coconut milk

Coconut Shrimp Fry

If you have subscribed to my posts please follow my Facebook page>> Delicious Sweet Aroma << for any future updates on this site. Thank you for visiting!

 

 

Stay Healthy!

 

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Onion Fritters / Onion Bhaji – Vegan

Quick and easy vegan recipe of crispy Onion fritters also known as Onion Bhaji in Indian cuisine, mainly served as a snack or starter before a main course. Its also sometimes named as pakora (fritter) which are deep-fried in a batter of chickpea flour.

I make this quiet often when we want to munch on snacks and this is quick to prepare during weekends. Most of the recipes call for many ingredients for Onion Bhaji and I made it super-quick for minimal prep and time in the kitchen.

Preparation time : 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Onion – 1 medium, thinly sliced

Chickpea flour/ Gram flour / Besan – 1/2 cup / 70 g

Rice flour – 2 tbsp, for crispness

Water – 25 ml if required

Red chili powder – 1 tsp (optional)

Salt – 1/4 tsp

 

Directions

1. Peel and wash onion. Cut into thin slices.

2. Add chickpea flour or besan, rice flour, salt. Mix and coat together using your hands or spoon. It will turn sticky as onions release water while mixing. Do not add water yet until well mixed for half a minute.

Ingredients for Onion Fritter | Vegan Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Now you can add little water but not too much.

4. Heat oil in a deep-bottomed container of 2-inch. Drop the batter in small amounts as shown.

Frying Onions | Deep-fry | Delicious Sweet Aroma

5. Fry in batches for 2 minutes or until it changes color to light brown. Strain with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper towels.

Frying Onions | Vegan | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Onion Fritters or Baji | Vegan | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Serve hot with tea ☕ or any spicy dip. We have this quiet often in the evenings and by the time I’m done frying with my last batch they are almost over ☺. However, this time I managed to get a picture while my hubby patiently waited.

Onion Fritters or Onion Baji | Vegan Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

A quick picture before crunching into them.

Onion Fritter | Vegan/Vegetarian Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

 

You can pin it for later use. If you have tried it please share your views . I would like to hear your thoughts👇 ✍. Thank you for visiting my post.

 

For related recipes of fritters and Ingredients click below:

Goli Baje Recipe

Spicy Banana Pepper Fritters 🌶

Jackfruit Fritters

Banana Fritters 🍌

 

 

 

Stay Healthy!

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Flower Crab – Curry (Mangalorean Recipe)

I have been wanting to make these crabs for so long but always had something else planned for the weekend. I have never cooked crabs nor had the slightest idea what should be done if the crab is alive, neither did my husband. I told my husband: “My job is to cook the crab yours is to kill it” (fair enough right? 😜). So, on Sunday we finally managed to wake up a bit early with excitement to get fresh crabs from the wet market near us. Hoping they were still available at the market we happily found them at one of the stalls I intended to buy from. I was expecting the crabs to be alive but they were slightly cold when touched, mostly frozen when transported from the port I believe, tied with rubber bands not moving. Husband: “My job is done!” with a grin. We let the person at the stall pick the crabs for us as he was better at picking the fresh ones, 4 huge crabs for 22$.

The process of cleaning crabs takes less than 15 mins for 4 crabs. Prepare a curry paste and let the crabs cook in the spice paste for 20 minutes. You must definitely give it a try by referring to pictures below 👏. Happy cooking!

IMG_8198

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

Flower crabs 🦀 – 1.5 kg, 4 large size

Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Curry paste:

Grated coconut – 150 g / 1 1/2 cup

Red dry Kashmir chili – 6, medium long

Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp

Garlic cloves – 3

Cumin / Jeera seeds – 3/4 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp

Black peppercorns – 8 

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Medium Onion – 1/2, roughly chopped

Tamarind – tennis ball size, soaked in water 

IMG_8203

 

Directions

>> How to clean Flower Crabs? It’s easy!

 

1. Turn the crab upside down. Lift the flap and discard.

IMG_8207

2. Grab the bottom end in one hand and the upper end in the other. Lift the upper end of the shell and discard. Use a spoon to scoop out the soft roe (mostly in brown) out of them.

IMG_8209

3. Remove the gills (spongy brown stuff) on both sides of the crab. I didn’t know those were gills until after I cooked them and realized they were inedible.

Gills_IMG_8198

4. Using kitchen scissors ✂ cut the walking legs (with hair) and discard.

Crab legs

5. Remove the entire claw of each crab (to make space in the cooking pot).

IMG_8211

6. In the end give it a through rinse to remove all the inedible stuff. If your container doesn’t hold the crab body, cut them into halves.

The crab is all ready to be cooked now.

 

1. Prepare the curry paste by adding all the ingredients in a blender. Grind to a smooth paste with water.

2. Heat oil in a wide deep-bottomed container. Add the curry paste and 1.5 cups of water for consistency along with 1 tsp of salt.

IMG_8218

3. Add the crabs to coat with the paste enough to stick to the crabs. Cover and cook on medium-high heat for 20 minutes.

IMG_8219

 

In 20 minutes they are done! It reminded me of mom making this for us when we were kids.

IMG_8224

We served them in separate plates with a bowl of rice 🍚. Used our hands and teeth (or crab Cracker) to bite and suck the juices. They tasted delicious and flavorful 😋😍. When they are hot juices ooz out as you break them apart and the flesh can easily be sucked out.

IMG_8229

 

Even if you have never tried cooking crabs. This is still the BEST recipe for a beginner. I hope you enjoyed reading though the fun process of how to clean and cook a crab in this post.

 

Cook’s tip:

*For left over crabs store it in an airtight container in the freezer. Since seafood tends to go bad soon it’s best not to store it in the fridge.

 

Stay Healthy!

 

 

 

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Sweet Pulav – Rice Recipe

Pulao or Pulav is a delicately flavored rice that is lightly toasted in Ghee and then cooked in spices such as cloves, cinnamon etc. There are different variations of making a pulav in Indian Cuisine with assorted veggies.

Sweet Pulav is mainly served during occasions in Mangalore. The main flavor of this dish is the gorgeous golden brown onions with the addition of raisins and cashew nuts which adds a pleasing crunch and flavor. Mangalorean weddings often have this served with beetroot+raisin or date chutney for a traditional taste.

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 1 cup

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Caster Sugar – 3 tbsp

Ghee/olive oil – as required (see directions)

Onions – 1 large, thinly diced

Raisins – 1/4 cup, soaked in 1/2 cup  warm water (15 mins)

Cashews – 1/4 cup, slit at the center

Water – double the quantity of rice

 

Directions

Soak the raisins in warm water for 10-15 mins. Drain and dry with a kitchen towel.

1. Frying Cashews, Raisins and Onions separately and setting aside in one plate.

Toss the cashews in 1 tbsp ghee and fry on high heat in a frying pan until its lightly toasted. Set it aside.

Cashew-nut | Toasted

Toss in raisins in the same pan with ghee, they will have plumped up. Set aside.

Raisin | Toasted for Pulao Recipe

Toss the onions in the same pan, add 1 more 1 tbsp of ghee and stir-fry on medium-high heat. Keeping eyes on them, they must turn dark golden brown and not black or burnt. This might take a while. Also, avoid tossing them too much.

The Onion | Fried for Rice Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

 

2. In the same frying pan add the rice and toast it lightly with 2 tbsp ghee or oil. Transfer to a large pot.

Toasting Basmati RIce | Rice Recipe

3. Add cinnamon, cloves, salt and sugar. Pour 2 cups of water. It must be at-least 1 inch above the rice level. Cook on medium heat and bring to a boil. Keeping an eye, cover and cook until the rice is tender.

Basmati Rice | Aromatic | Delicious Sweet Aroma

4. Garnish with the fried onions, raisins and cashews.

Garnish food | Rice Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Serve hot with any curry dish.

Sweet Pulao Recipe | Mangalorean Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

 

Sweet Rice Recipe / Sweet pulao Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

 

 

Cooks tip:

*To obtain a caramelized texture of onions add enough ghee or oil. Wider the space faster is the frying process for larger portions. Keep stirring every minute for even browning.

 

Thank you for your likes and comments. For related rice recipe please click the recipe below. I have a few rice recipes which I prepare occasionally at home that saves a lot of time. When I have taken pictures of them will be sure to post it here and share.

Do not forget to check my Facebook page for more pictures and updates >> https://www.facebook.com/delicioussweetaroma/

 

 

Stay Healthy! 🙂

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Pork Recipe- Mangalorean Pork Bafat

I’m not sure why I have been hesitant on posting pork bafat recipe. Mostly because its commonly prepared by Mangaloreans, and I believe most people would know how to prepare it as it is a favorite among all Mangaloreans. However, some have their own special recipe so I thought of sharing this recipe my mom’s way and it’s always a great start to a new dish.

This recipe has been passed down for generations. Some call it pork bafat others Pork curry, and we at home call it “DUKRA MAAS” in konkani (Dukor – Pig  and Mass – Meat). You must have noticed while browsing through my posts some recipes call for Bafat powder. It is a ready-made powder which I got along with me to Singapore. Being brought up in Mangalore its a traditional Sunday ritual prepared by Catholics with its main features being the combination of vinegar and pork often served with a ‘pao’ (Idli / Dosa / Sanna) that is made from fermented rice of Konkani cuisine.

We get different types of pork meat in Singapore which is less fatty compared to the Mangalorean pork meat (best!). Hence, this pork recipe is more of a gravy than a curry. The fat imparts a great flavor to the dish which is why it must have some fat content. At home we sometimes prepare this in a claypot. As you follow through one of my posts on Claypot recipe cooking pork for longer gives it a unique taste. It gets more flavor the following day. So make sure you spare some for the next day.

Preparation time: 10 -15 minutes

Cooking time : 45 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Cubed Pork belly and lean meat – 1 kg (500 g each), I prefer less fat. Can also include bones

Onions – 3 large, chopped into 1/2 inch size

Garlic – 1/2 pod/bulb, sliced lengthwise

Ginger –  1 inch, finely chopped

Bafat  powder – 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Vinegar – 2 tbsp

Salt – 1/2 tbsp

Cloves – 6 

Bay leaf  – 7 (optional), fresh if available, washed  and cut into halves

Directions

1. Cut the pork into cubes. Wash once and add it into medium deep-bottomed container. Prepare the onions, garlic and ginger.

Pork Meat | DUKRA MASS | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Ingredients for Pork | DUKRA MASS | Delicious Sweet Aroma

2. To the washed meat, add the rest of the ingredients such as: bafat powder, turmeric, vinegar, salt and cloves along with chopped onions, ginger and sliced garlic. Mix and combine together with your hands to coat spices to the meat.

If you have bay leaf you can add now. We usually have fresh ones at home in our backyard but I haven’t used it here.

Pork Recipe ingredients | Pork bafat | Delicious Sweet Aroma

3. On medium heat let the meat cook for 40 – 45 minutes covered. Check in between 2 or 3 times and mix. Water oozes out from the onions so there would be no need to add any water.

After 30 minutes, check for salt. Add if required.

Pork Recipe | Pork bafat | Delicious Sweet Aroma

4. Turn off heat when the pork has cooked. Serve with rice or bread. You can even have it as a side with beer.

Pork Recipe | DUKRA MASS or Pork bafat | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Cook’s tip:

*Do not add any water to this recipe. The onions release water as it simmers.

*If it gets too spicy add vinegar. The more the fat the more bafat powder you will need for spicing up the dish. The more leaner the meat less bafat powder is required depending on personal spice and same goes for black pepper pork.

If you wish to see related recipes hover over the recipe title and click:

Mangalorean Pancake with Pandan

Jackfruit fritters

Prawn with coconut milk

Pork Vindaloo

Black Pepper Pork

Coorgi Pork

Hope to hear your views on this recipe. Stay healthy!

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Sweet Chilli Prawns

I know there are many ingredients that include in Sweet Chilli Prawn recipe, but not all are required. You can still prepare this recipe with few sauces like the soya sauce and tomato sauce. They are always in my pantry for delicious stir-fry dishes as these.

This dish is mildly spicy, and in order to find these ingredients, the first place I recommend is your local international food market. The key ingredient for the spice in my recipe is the red-chili paste. It can turn up the heat and can be used for any seafood recipes like fish, prawns, squids etc.

 

 

Preparation time: 15 minutes (excluding cleaning prawns)

Cooking time: 25 minutes

 

Ingredients

Large prawns – 250 g , tips & legs removed

Ginger – 1 inch, finely chopped

Garlic – 2 big. finely chopped

Onions – 1 medium, chopped

Red pepper/Bell pepper – 1, cut into 1 inch

Spring onion (whites & greens) –  1/4 cup, set aside for garnish as well

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Red chili paste / Red chili powder – 1/2 tsp

Vinegar – 1 tsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Tomato sauce – 1 tbsp

Sweet chili sauce – 1 tbsp

Light soya sauce – 2 tbsp

Cornflour mixed in 1/4 cup of water

 

For Marinade:

Ginger-Garlic paste – 1 tsp

Kashmiri red chili powder – 1 tsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Egg – 1

Light soya sauce – 1 tbsp

Cornflour – 3 tbsp

 

Directions

1. Season the prawns with the ingredients under marinade: ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, salt, egg, soya sauce and cornflour. Mix and set aside for 15 – 30 mins.

Ingredients for Sweet Chilli Prawn marinade | Delicious Sweet aroma

In the meantime, prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Ingredients for Stir-Fry | Prawn recipe

2. Toss the prawns in a heated pan of olive oil. Stir-fry for 4-5 mins on high until they are lightly brown. Remove from and set aside in a plate.

Pan fry or stir-fry Prawn | Delicious Sweet Aroma

3. In the same pan with 1 tsp of oil. Put ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 1 min on high. Add the onions and fry till it turns translucent. Add red peppers, spring onions, pepper powder. Mix together.

Now, add all the sauces and pastes except for cornflour. Mix together and fry for 2 minutes.

Ingredients for Sweet Chilli Prawn recipe | Delicious

 

4. Add prawns and cornflour liquid. Reduce heat to medium and stir again gently to coat. Cover and cook for 2-4 minutes keeping an eye.

Stir-fry| Prawn Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Cornflour liquid for better texture | Sweet chilli Prawn

Garnish with spring onions.

Sweet Chilli Prawn Recipe | Stir-fry | by Delicious Sweet aroma

 

 

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For more seafood recipes click below:

Coconut Shrimp Fry

Flower Crab Curry

Spicy Clam Recipe

 

 

Stay Healthy! 🙂

 

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Curry of Drumsticks – Vegetarian

Drumsticks are not the easiest vegetable to find, and once you find it the next question is what do you do with it. They are long, rod shaped veggies that hang of drumstick trees called Moringa tree.

Drumstick on tree | Delicious Sweet Aroma Recipes

The flesh of these drumsticks impart a great flavor to the dish. They are commonly used in curries or sambar (veg-based stew) in South-India. The leaves of tender drumsticks are used for garnish as well.

Before you start preparing this recipe make sure you have all the ingredients for the vegetable curry paste. You can also prepare without the split pigeon peas like my other recipe here >> Curry with Green Bean.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

 

Ingredients

Drumsticks – 2 or 3

Toor daal /Tuvar dhal / Split pigeon peas – 1/4 cup

Water

Salt

Vegetable curry paste: Anti-clockwise

Kashmiri red chilies – 3

Small Onion – 1, roughly chopped

Garlic cloves – 2

Grated coconut – 1 cup

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp

Fenugreek seeds/Methi – 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds/jeera – 1 tsp

 

ingredients veg curry_IMG_7283

 

 

 

Directions

How to peel/cut the drumsticks?

+ Cut the drumsticks into sections of  2 inch length

+ Scrape some portions of the skin with a small knife but remember not to remove all skin. Some prefer not peeling them as it gets a bit messy if overcooked.

+Rinse in water. Now its ready to cook.

 

1. Add the toor daal in a slow cooker or pressure cooker with 1 cup of water and 1/4 tsp salt. If your using a pressure cooker take 2 whistles and turn off heat.

toor daal or tuvar dhal for veg curry | Vegan recipe

Meantime prepare the vegetable curry paste. Note that the more grated coconut you add the more masala paste you get to make a thicker gravy.

Veg Masala Curry Paste | Delicious Sweet Aroma

2. You can either use the same vessel or transfer the contents of the cooker into a medium container along with its liquid. To this, add the prepared curry paste  with salt and 1. 5 cups of water depending on you required consistency of thickness. Bring it to a boil.

Check for salt. Add the drumsticks

Curry Recipe | Drumstick | Delicious Sweet Aroma, Vegan

3. Cook for 15 minutes on medium-high. One of the simplest and easiest curry one can prepare.

Curry of drumstick_IMG_7598

 

 

Storage tips:

Additional paste can be stored in a sealed container in the freezer. Stick a label to identify and its ready for next time.

 

Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by Delicious Sweet Aroma.

 

Stay Healthy!

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